A Samurai's Love
by ren-shika-inu15
Summary: Based in the Tokugawa era in Japan. Shuuhei is a samurai for Lord Ieyasu. He meets a young woman named Hana Tsukino on a trip to Iga. They are drawn to each other but neither one understands their own feelings. Shuuhei thinks that a woman will only get in the way while Hana doesn't want to get too close to anyone else because of the way she's been treated all her life. Shuuhei X OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note- Hi! I'm back with a new multi-chapter story! Yay! This one is Shuuhei and my OC Hana. I've been dying to write a longer story with Shuuhei. This is based in the Tokugawa era in Japan. I've always wanted to write a story with a handsome samurai as my male lead. It's a bit of a crossover with** _ **Tail of the Moon**_ **. I don't know if it is enough to actually be labeled a crossover but I figured I'd mention it. I'm so excited for this story and I hope everyone will enjoy it. I feel like it's a bit scattered right now but I hope to fix that as I go on. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **Bleach**_ **or any of its characters. I don't own any characters from** _ **Tail of the Moon**_ **either. Only my own characters and my general plot.**

Chapter 1

It was a gorgeous day in a small village outside of Edo. News had reached the village that Lord Ieyasu would be staying at the inn on his way to Iga. As soon as the village elders heard, they began preparing a celebration. A great feast was to take place once the lord was settled in. the men in the village went out to hunt a wild boar while the women cooked in the council building's large kitchen.

"We're back! And this one's a beaut!" called out one of the head elder's grandsons, Hichigo. His twin brother, Ichigo, sighed at Hichigo's yell. They placed the dead boar on a big table. The beast was huge. Hichigo looked around until his eyes found a young woman with black hair in a ponytail. And bright orange eyes. A wide, arrogant smiled formed on his face.

"Hey, Hana. Fallen in love with me yet?" he asked, walking up to her. She ignored him and kept chopping vegetables. "Come on. How about a kiss?" She looked up at him.

"No." He frowned as she continued her work.

"Whatever." He followed Ichigo out of the Kitchen.

"Hana! It's time for you to prepare the boar with that special recipe of yours," one of the other women shouted.

"Coming!"

* * *

"Lord Ieyasu, we will arrive in Kita shortly," said a young samurai with spikey black hair. Ieyasu smiled at his favorite warrior.

"Thank you, Shuuhei," he replied.

"We've gotten word that the villagers are preparing a celebration in your honor," the stoic samurai added.

"How wonderful. I do hope you'll attend the feast with me," Ieyasu said happily.

"Of course, my lord. I must be there to protect you lest anything happens." Ieyasu laughed.

"I hope you'll loosen up a bit and enjoy the celebration."

"I must stay on guard, my lord."

"Haha, I suppose that's so."

* * *

"Lord Ieyasu, I would like to welcome you to our humble village. Please enjoy the feast that has been prepared for you!" the head elder announced. "Bring out our best sake!" Three young women entered the room. Once placed a cup in front of everyone at the table. The other two held sake bottles. One started with the head elder and the other started with Ieyasu. After pouring Ieyasu's drink, the young woman moved towards Shuuhei. She let out a gasp as the toe of her sandal caught on the tatami mat. She fell to her knees and the sake bottle fell into Shuuhei's lap, emptying the contents onto his hakama.

"O-oh, no," she whispered. Shuuhei's eyes widened as he got his first good look at her. She had beautiful black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. Her facial features were gentle and pretty and she had the most unusual and beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. He had never seen someone with orange eyes before.

"Hana, you fool! You have disgraced our village! Get out!" the head elder yelled. Tears welled up in her eyes but they didn't fall. She turned and darted out of the building.

"Oh my," Ieyasu whispered. The elders all bowed.

"We are all so sorry. I hope that you and your samurai do not think badly of this village," the head elder apologized. "She's an orphan that showed up here when she was a child. We have tried to help her fit in, but she doesn't seem to have any skills aside from cooking. And her eyes…we fear she may have some kind of demon lying in wait in her soul." Ieyasu had become thoughtful.

"Did she cook any of this meal?" he asked.

"Yes. The boar was cooked with her recipe." Ieyasu waved his hand at Shuuhei.

"Cut me a piece of that beautiful boar, Shuuhei."

"I shall try it first to make sure that it has not been poisoned," the samurai replied. Ieyasu frowned and shook his head.

"I'll have none of that. I don't think that girl would try to poison anyone."

"But, Lord Ieyasu-"

"I'm quite hungry, Shuuhei," Ieyasu replied. His tone left no room for argument and Shuuhei did as he was told. Ieyasu chewed quietly for a moment and then broke into a huge grin. "This is delicious! Absolutely fantastic! I must speak with her. Shuuhei! Go find her and bring her back here!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, my lord." The young samurai turned to the head elder. "Where can I find her?" Shuuhei asked. The head elder's eyes were wide.

"Sh-she lives in a shack on the southern-most edge of the village," the elder answered. Shuuhei nodded and walked out into the village.

* * *

"I'll never be truly accepted, no matter how long I live here," Hana said to herself. She had a cloth laid out on her small table. She folded a couple kimonos and grabbed her recipe book, a few spices she loved, and a hairpin that she'd had as long as she could remember. She placed them all on the cloth and tied first the left corners and then the right ones. She slid the pack on her back and opened the door. She was shocked that there was someone on the other side. The handsome samurai that she'd pilled sake on stared back at her, his hand raised to knock on the door. He cleared his throat and let his hand drop back to his side.

"Lord Ieyasu would like to see you," he said, bowing. When he stood straight, she stared at him. He had three scars on the right side of his face, the number 69 inked on his left cheek, and a strange stripe that went across his face.

"Does he want to punish me for spilling the sake?" she asked. He could see the slight fear in her eyes.

"No. He only wishes to speak to you."

"Okay. It's not like I can refuse either way," she muttered. She shut the door behind her and they started to walk in silence. After a while, Shuuhei spoke.

"Were you leaving?" he asked.

"Yes," Hana replied. "By the way, sorry about spilling sake on you."

"It was only an accident. Do not worry yourself about it." They walked the rest of the way in silence. Hana felt her entire body tense as they entered the council building. Everyone turned to them, including Ieyasu.

"Excellent, Shuuhei! That didn't take long at all," Ieyasu said with a bright smile. Hana bowed.

"I came as soon as your samurai told me you wished to peak with me." Ieyasu's grin got even wider.

"In that case, I'll get right to the point. I want you to become my head cook at my castle," he said. Everyone's except for Shuuhei's jaws dropped. Hana was completely taken aback.

"M-my lord, I-I don't know what to say," she said quietly.

"Say yes! You're cooking is exceptional. I must eat it every day for the rest of my life!" he exclaimed. Hana thought about how her life had been up to that point.

As a small child, she had shown up in Kita by herself, clutching a hairpin so tightly that the tip had punctured her skin. Hichigo and Ichigo had been the ones to find her. They took her to see their grandfather. Even at her young age, she could tell that the old man was afraid of her from the moment he looked at her eyes. She was sent to the tiny shack where she'd lived as long as she could remember. Everyone in the village had kept her at a distance. Some had gone so far as to completely shun her. Not Hichigo and Ichigo though. Ichigo was always kind to her while his twin teased her in friendly way. Eventually, Hichigo's teasing became more than just teasing. Every day he would ask if she was in love with him or ask for a kiss. She knew that he liked her, but she just didn't like him back in that way. She would miss the twins, but she'd made up her mind.

"I will go with you," she replied. Ieyasu grinned.

"No!" someone shouted. Hana looked up and saw that Hichigo had burst from the kitchen in anger at her answer. "Hana can't go with you! She's going to be my bride!" Ichigo walked out of the kitchen and put a hand on his brother's shoulder in an attempt to calm him.

"Ichigo, please calm your brother down. I'll have a talk with him later," the head elder said.

"Yes, Grandfather. Come on, Hichigo," the orange-haired twin said, pulling his angry brother back into the kitchen.

"I wasn't aware that you were someone's bride-elect," Ieyasu said.

"I'm not," Hana replied. "I've been with them since we were children. Hichigo is like a brother to me."

"Good, good. Shuuhei will escort you back home. We will leave in the morning," he told her. Hana and Shuuhei bowed and exited the building.

* * *

"We haven't formally introduced ourselves. I'm Shuuhei Hisagi," the young samurai said when they reached Hana's shack.

"My name is Hana Tsukino."

"I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Tsukino-san." He bowed.

"Goodnight, Hisagi-san," she replied, bowing. The door to the shack closed and Shuuhei started his walk back to the inn. About halfway back, the twins from earlier were walking towards him. The one that had the outburst was glaring at him. When they were about to pass each other, Hichigo grabbed Shuuhei's arm.

"I swear, if anything happens to her, I'll kill you. I don't care if Ieyasu has me executed. I'll take you to hell with me," he growled.

"Perhaps you should get stronger so you can protect her yourself," Shuuhei replied.

"Bastard!"

"Hichigo, do you want to see Hana or not?" Ichigo pushed his brother forward to get him walking again. As Hichigo stomped off, Ichigo turned to glare at Shuuhei. "If something does happen to Hana, I'll be right there with my brother as he kills you." He turned away and followed after his brother. Shuuhei only shook his head and continued on his way.

* * *

"Hana! Open up!" Hana rolled her eyes at the familiar voice. When she opened the door, she was immediately wrapped in a tight hug.

"What's going on, Hichigo?" she said worriedly. His arms tightened around her.

"Why did you agree to leave?" She could hear the anger in his voice. His body shook as he held her. She wrapped her arms around him.

"It's something I need to do. I need to be able to make something of my life," she replied quietly. He pulled back.

"You could do that here! We'd get married and have kids. We'd be together," he exclaimed. A sad look crossed Hana's face.

"I'm sorry…I don't feel that way about you," she told him quietly. He frowned and spun around, landing a hard punch to the wall.

"Damn it! I knew. I really did. I knew all this time that you didn't love me back. But I wanted you to. More than anything. Are you still going to leave?" When he looked at her, she nodded. "Fine," he sighed.

"I'm sure Lord Ieyasu will let me come visit," she said. Hichigo's arms were around her again.

"Do you promise?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes.

"I promise." Hichigo stared at her for a moment before pressing his lips to hers roughly. Hana's eyes widened, but she didn't push him away.

"Sorry. I had to do that at least once in my life," he whispered.

"Damn. I never would've thought that I'd see my brother get so sentimental," Ichigo said. Hichigo jumped back.

"You bastard," he growled, glaring at his twin. Ichigo laughed and walked over to them.

"We're going to miss you," Ichigo told her. She smiled.

"I'm going to miss you, too." Both men wrapped her in a hug and for the first time in a long time, Hana cried.

* * *

"Tsukino-san, are you ready to go?" Shuuhei called. The door opened and the young woman stepped out. He noticed that her eyes were red. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," she said curtly. He followed after her as she started toward the inn.

"You have good friends," he said. She looked at him over her shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"They threatened to kill me if anything happened to you. They care about you a lot." Hana smiled sadly.

"For the first time in my life, I actually don't want to leave. And it's all because of those two," she said. They walked the rest of the way in silence. Shuuhei looked around but didn't see the twins anywhere.

"Are they not coming to say goodbye?" he asked.

"We said our goodbyes last night," she answered quietly.

"Hana! Shuuhei!" a voice called out. They looked over and saw that Ieyasu was walking towards them. Hana and Shuuhei bowed.

"Good morning, Lord Ieyasu," they said together.

"I'm so glad that you decided to come with me. Also, Shuuhei will become your personal guard," the older man said to Hana.

"But, my lord, I am your personal guard," Shuuhei said, frowning. Ieyasu waved off his concern.

"I have plenty of men to protect me on this trip. I would like to make sure that my wonderful new cook doesn't come to any harm. Therefore, I'm putting my best man on the job," Ieyasu explained.

"As you wish, my lord," Shuuhei replied.

"Thank you so much, Lord Ieyasu," Hana said, bowing again. If Shuuhei was Ieyasu's personal guard, she knew that she had nothing to fear.

"Excellent! Now, it's time for us to go." Shuuhei and Hana followed Ieyasu over to where the horses were. They stopped in front of a gorgeous horse that was blacker than the night itself.

"He's beautiful," Hana said quietly. A small smile made its way to Shuuhei's face.

"His name is Kazeshini. He can be temperamental at times so be careful. Despite that, he's a good horse," Shuuhei told her. She stood by Kazeshini's head and slowly petted his neck. Blue eyes stared warily for a moment before he whinnied and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. Shuuhei's eyes widened. "He's never warmed up to anyone that quickly." Hana laughed.

"But he's such a sweet boy. It's hard to believe he's temperamental," she said. Shuuhei only shook his head.

"We have to get going," he said. He took her hand and guided her foot to the stirrup, helping her onto Kazeshini's back. Shuuhei then gracefully go on behind her. She felt her face get hot as his muscled chest pressed against her back. Then only time she'd ever been that close to a man, it had been one of the twins and she hadn't thought anything of it since they were like her brothers. With Shuuhei, it was entirely different. "Are you comfortable, Tsukino-san?"

"Y-yes," she stuttered. His arms caged her in as he took hold of the reigns.

"My lord, I believe we're ready to leave," Shuuhei announced.

"Excellent. Let's go." With that, Hana was leaving the only home she'd ever known.

* * *

"Hana, you look exhausted. Are you feeling okay?" Ieyasu asked. Hana looked over to the older man and tried to smile reassuringly.

"I'll be alright. It's nothing to worry yourself about, my lord," she replied. He frowned slightly.

"You need to rest. I've been watching you for a while now. You've only gotten paler as we've gone on. Shuuhei will make sure nothing happens to you," he said firmly. She realized there was no arguing with him.

"Yes, my lord. Please allow me to rest, Hisagi-san," she said quietly. Shuuhei stiffened slightly as Hana leaned against him. He'd never had a woman pressed against him. Most women were terrified just by the sight of him. Despite the fact that he _was_ handsome, he was always so serious that the look on his face scared them. But now- he barely admitted it to himself- he was nervous. A pleasant flowery yet spice-like smell drifted up to his nose and his cheeks warmed.

"She seems quite comfortable with you already, Shuuhei," Ieyasu said with a smile. "She's fast asleep." Shuuhei looked down and saw that what Ieyasu said was true. "I sense good things in the future, my boy. Good things." Shuuhei sighed and tried not to think about the young woman laying against his chest.

* * *

 _Flames flared up around a small girl as she ran through the village._

 _"Mommy! Daddy! Where are you?" she cried. She could hear screams and the pounding of horses' hooves hitting the ground. She ran to her house and saw that it was in flames like the rest of her village. "Mommy! Daddy!" A woman stumbled out of the house she had a large bleeding cut on her side. For some reason, her face seemed blurry._

 _"My flower, come here. Mommy has something important to tell you," the woman said weakly. The girl ran to her as the woman fell to her knees._

 _"Mommy!" the little girl cried. She grasped her mother's hand tightly. The woman pulled a beautiful hairpin from her hair and pressed it into the girl's palm._

 _"Daddy and I can't go with you, but I need you to run as fast and as far as you can."_

 _"No! I don't want to leave without you!" the girl cried._

 _"You have to!" The woman hugged the girl and kissed her forehead. "I love you, my beautiful little flower. Now run!" The little girl took off running. When she reached the edge of the village, she stopped and turned back. A man on a horse rode up to the woman. The little girl screamed as the man's sword swung down toward the woman's neck._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note- Hello! Chapter 2 is here! I'm really excited for this story and I hope everyone likes it. Don't be afraid to review! It fuels my muse** **Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **Bleach**_ **or the characters from** _ **Tail of the Moon**_ **that I borrow. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Hana gasped as she awoke. She was on the verge of total panic until a strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her steady.

"You're okay, Tsukino-san. I'm protecting you, remember?" a deep voice said in her ear. She looked over her shoulder and was met with Shuuhei's gentle face.

"Oh. Hisagi-san. I'm sorry, I must have had a nightmare," she apologized. Shuuhei felt relieved as Hana started to relax.

' _I must have gotten the facial expression correct,'_ he thought. Hana's body began to tremble. He wasn't sure what to do so he held her tighter against him. "Do you need anything?"

Hana blushed as the arm around her waist tightened, pressing her as close as she could be.

"A drink of water would be nice," she answered. The arm around her waist disappeared for moment as Shuuhei reached into the saddlebag. The water was passed to her and she happily took a couple of sips before passing it back. She waited for Shuuhei to wrap his arm around her waist again, but he just took hold of the reigns. She was a little disappointed but wasn't sure why.

"If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask," he told her. She only nodded.

* * *

"We'll rest here for the night," Shuuhei said to the other samurai. They nodded and stopped their horses, quickly getting down and unloading the gear. Shuuhei got down and handed the reigns to Hana. "Stay here next to Lord Ieyasu. When everything is set up, I'll come back and get you both," he told her. She nodded.

"What do you think of Shuuhei?" Ieyasu asked when Shuuhei was out of earshot. Hana was startled.

"Wha-what do you mean?" she asked.

"I want to know your opinion of Shuuhei." Hana thought for a moment.

"He seems like a very good man. Strong, intelligent, kind, handsome." The smile Ieyasu aimed at her made her blush. "I probably shouldn't be saying this. I'm sure he has a lover." Ieyasu's smile widened.

"Quite the contrary. All the women at the palace are terrified of him. They all think he's handsome but say that he's too scary to get close to. You're the first to think otherwise," he replied. Hana frowned.

"How could they think that? He may be a bit serious, but scary? He's too kind to be scary."

"He doesn't treat other women the way I've seen him be with you just today. But then again, he always seems to get nervous around women."

"What are you trying to say, my lord?"

"Oh nothing, my dear. Nothing at all. I'm just an old man spouting nonsense," he laughed. Hana turned to watch Shuuhei as he and the other samurai set up the camp. He was more handsome than most of the men she'd met, even with his scars. She sighed, not realizing that he'd begun to walk toward her while she was lost in thought.

"Are you okay, Tsukino-san? You were staring at me strangely," Shuuhei said. Her face flushed in embarrassment at being caught.

"I'm perfectly fine. And I was not staring!" she said angrily. "Can't a woman get lost in thought?" Shuuhei was confused for a moment but shrugged it off. He helped Ieyasu off his horse and then moved to do the same for Hana. She took his hand but as she tried to swing her leg over Kazeshini's back, her other foot got stuck in the stirrup. She cried out and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, she was looking up into Shuuhei's face. Her cheeks warmed as she realized that she was in his arms.

"You need to be more careful," he chided, cheeks pink. She nodded and waited for him to put her down. When he didn't, she cleared her throat.

"You can put me down now," she said quietly.

"Oh. Right." He put her down and walked toward the others. He was completely confused by his own feelings. Having Hana in his arms and having her lay against his chest felt kind of…good. He didn't understand why he was feeling that way. It irritated him. He could tell that she was going to be a distraction that would get in the way of his duties. He shook his head to clear it and began building a fire.

"Shuuhei, could you go look for some more firewood? I fear that we don't have enough," Ieyasu said.

"Of course, my lord."

"And take Hana with you. An extra set of hands means you can bring back more wood." Shuuhei frowned, causing Ieyasu to chuckle to himself.

"Let's go, Tsukino-san," Shuuhei said curtly. He couldn't help the slight irritation that bubbled up in him. Hana frowned at his tone but followed him anyway. They got a little ways out into the forest when they suddenly heard rushing water. Hana looked around, trying to find the source.

"I'm going to find that river or whatever it is," she said and took off. She needed a little time away from the samurai and a swim seemed like a good way to clear her head.

"Tsukino-san, wait! It's dangerous!" Shuuhei called after her. She kept running and the sound of the water kept getting louder. She finally found it, a small waterfall with a pool at the bottom. She glanced around to make sure no one was around and quickly stripped off her kimono. She quickly climbed into the water and went under.

It was at that moment that Shuuhei found the waterfall. He was absolutely furious.

"Tsukino-san! Where the hell is that woman?" he growled. He hadn't been so angry since he was a kid. "Tsukino-san!" At that moment, Hana came bursting out the water with her back to him. He was so mad that he didn't even notice the fact that she was naked. He went over to the side of the pool and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the water.

"What are you doing?" she yelled. Shuuhei ignored her and kept pulling her along. "Stop! LET GO OF ME!" she screamed and yanked her arm out of his grasp. He turned and froze as he stared at her. She was glaring daggers at him, her chest heaving. She grabbed her kimono and turned around to get dressed. When she was finished, she turned back to him. "What were you doing?"

"You shouldn't have run off like that. It's dangerous out here," he snapped, surprising himself.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!"

"Then don't act like one." That caused Hana to freeze.

"Let's just go get the firewood," she said coldly. Shuuhei didn't say anything, just headed back into the forest. They gathered up plenty of wood and made their way back to the camp. As Shuuhei added wood to the fire, Hana got out the leftover food from the feast that they'd taken with them. The tension was almost tangible.

"Is everything okay?" one of the samurai asked.

"Everything's fine," Shuuhei and Hana said together. Everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence until Hana bowed to Ieyasu.

"My lord, I must apologize, but I'm very tired. If you'll permit me, I'd like to rest," she said.

"Of course. Go ahead," Ieyasu replied. As soon as she was in her tent, the men sighed as the tension seemed to dissipate.

"What the hell is going on?" a blonde man asked.

"Absolutely nothing, Izuru," Shuuhei answered. Izuru frowned but said nothing.

"Clearly, something happened," Ieyasu said.

"I would rather not discuss it, my lord," Shuuhei replied. Ieyasu wasn't happy, but he let it go.

* * *

Hana had been laying in her tent, unable to sleep, for hours. She let out an angry sigh and got up. As she exited the tent, she noticed that Shuuhei was sitting by the fire, alone. He looked up at her as she sat on the opposite side of the fire.

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. They smiled slightly at each other.

"I shouldn't have run off. I know you're supposed to protect me and you can't do that if I'm not with you," she said.

"I could have handled the situation better myself," he admitted. They were silent for a while.

"You're pretty young and you're already lord Ieyasu's personal guard. How did you do it?" she asked.

"I had a good teacher. Lord Ieyasu's previous personal guard found me when my village was destroyed by Nobunaga's men. My parents had been killed and I was sure that I was next. But then Kensei found me. He told me that men don't cry and if I wanted to get stronger, he'd teach me. Even though I was young, I knew that I had nothing left. I followed him and he took me to Lord Ieyasu's castle. From that day on, I trained with Kensei for six hours a day and I did chores around the castle," he explained. Hana's eyes were wide.

"Sounds awful," she murmured.

"It's what made me the man I am today."

"What happened to Kensei?"

"Kensei Muguruma died in battle against Nobunaga. It was the way he preferred. He was a great man and an honorable samurai." Hana smiled again.

"I can tell that he was just by the way you talk about him," she said. His cheeks turned pink. Having a woman smile at him like that made a good feeling bubble up inside him.

"How did you end up in Kita? The head elder said that you showed up in the village one day," he said. Hana's expression darkened.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied coldly. Shuuhei frowned.

"Why?"

"I just don't."

"That doesn't seem fair. You asked about me and now I want-"

"I don't remember for sure," she interrupted. He fell silent. "I have these nightmares. A burning village, a woman with a face I can't see being decapitated, a little girl with my hairpin. I think they might be my memories but I don't remember anything before Kita. At least not for sure." Tears started sliding down her cheeks. "They're so real. And horrifying," she said quietly. Shuuhei, not knowing what to do, stayed silent. "You're the only one who knows." With that, she returned to her tent, unable to deal with the look of pity and confusion on Shuuhei's face.

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast and packing up the camp, Hana was back on Kazeshini with Shuuhei behind her. For some reason, she was now oddly conscious of him. She felt his chest rise and fall as he breathed. The smell of wood, metal, and something sweet that she couldn't name permeated her nose. It took her a moment to realize that it was Shuuhei's scent. Her talent for cooking was partially due to her sharp nose so she was surprised that this was the first time she noticed it. It was pleasant and somehow made her feel safe. She found herself staring at his hands. They were rough and covered in calluses. She found herself wondering what it would feel like to have those hands caress her. She shook the thought from her head as her face burned.

Shuuhei cocked an eyebrow as Hana shook her head. She'd been quiet all morning and he hadn't tried to start a conversation. He thought back to the previous night when she told him about her nightmares. He'd had the strong urge to hold her in his arms but, because his own feelings were confusing him, he didn't. Now, he figured that the position they were in at that moment would be as close as he would get.

"Hisagi-san?" He looked down and saw Hana looking up at him.

"What is it, Tsukino-san?" Her eyes were full of determination.

"Will you teach me how to use a sword when we get back to the capital? I know it's a selfish request. I also plan to ask Lord Ieyasu if you agree," she said.

"Why do you want to use a sword?" he asked.

"If Lord Ieyasu continues to take me on these trips, I can't always rely on you to protect me. I want to be able to fight for myself," she explained.

"A woman shouldn't use a sword."

"Don't give me that. I need to be able to defend myself. Even if you don't teach me, I'll find some way to learn," she said, anger creeping into her voice. She hated being treated like she was weak just because she was a woman.

"You're not going to give up?" She shook her head. "Fine. I'll teach you. But not the way I was taught. We'll practice for two hours a day, not six," he sighed. She beamed at him and he blushed.

"Thank you, Hisagi-san!" She was genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. Shuuhei frowned, upset with himself for actually agreeing. The look on her beautiful face had made it where he couldn't deny her. He sighed but was slightly content to know that he'd have a reason to see her every day once they returned to the capital.

* * *

"Ahh. I've missed Iga," Ieyasu sighed happily. Hana looked around eagerly.

"This is where the ninja used to live?" she asked.

"One section of them, at least," Shuuhei answered. "There were also the Kouga Ninja, the Hachisuka, and the Fuma."

"Wow."

"I made sure Shuuhei was well educated in areas other than the sword as well," Ieyasu told Hana with a wink. They rode up to a large house. Out front stood three teenage girls and a young boy that all looked almost identical. A stern-looking man and a smiling woman walked out of the house and joined them.

"Lord Ieyasu!" the woman called, waving.

"That's Hanzo Hattori, his wife Usagi, and their children," Shuuhei explained. Hana's eyes widened. As a child, she had heard the stories about Hanzo and even some about Usagi. They got off their horses and walked up to the family.

"Usagi, Hanzo, I would like to introduce Hana Tsukino. She's my new head cook," Ieyasu said. Hana bowed.

"It's an honor to meet you," Hana said. Usagi smiled.

"You don't need to be so formal. If you've managed to get Lord Ieyasu to like you this much, you're practically family," Usagi laughed. The oldest of the girls walked up to Shuuhei.

"Father says he married Mother when she was 15. I'm already 16. You should marry me soon," she said to him. Hana's eyes widened and she felt a pang of jealousy.

"I thought you said that women were afraid of Hisagi-san," Hana whispered to Ieyasu.

"Well, Ouka is not exactly what you'd consider a normal woman. She had her father's straight-forwardness and his deadpan attitude. It can be kind of disconcerting. She's also very attracted to strength. She's been after Shuuhei since I brought him here for the first time when they were children," Ieyasu answered. Hana frowned.

"How old is Hisagi-san exactly?" she asked.

"21," Ieyasu replied. "Why?"

"No particular reason," she huffed.

"Hana-chan! Lord Ieyasu! It's time for dinner," Usagi called. Ieyasu smiled to himself as he watched Hana angrily follow Shuuhei and Ouka into the house.

* * *

Hana stepped outside after she'd finished her meal. Darkness had fallen and a cool breeze blew. She was angry. At herself mostly, but also at Shuuhei and Ouka. Ouka had been by Shuuhei's side since they'd arrived and it was driving her crazy. It didn't help that Shuuhei hadn't even tried to shake the girl off. She was angry at herself for being jealous. There was no reason for her to be feeling that way. She had only met Shuuhei a couple of days ago. Ouka had known him since they were children. If they wanted to marry, Hana had no right to stand in their way. But she wanted to.

"You're not right for him. You know that, don't you?" a voice said behind her. Hana turned to find Ouka standing there.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hana replied.

"Of course you do. I've sensed your anger since I first spoke to him. Shuuhei is a strong man. He deserves to have a strong woman at his side, a kunoichi like me. Not some cook who was tossed aside by her village," Ouka said. Fury burned through Hana.

"That's enough, Ouka," came a deep voice. Ouka turned to find Shuuhei behind her.

"I'm only telling the truth."

"I said that's enough. Don't speak about things that you know nothing about," he said, an angry edge to his voice.

"Whatever." Ouka walked past Shuuhei and into the house.

"I'm sorry," Shuuhei said.

"Why? It's not like I can stand between you two," Hana replied coldly. Shuuhei frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"If you want to marry her, you should." She started to walk past him but he grabbed her arm.

"I don't want to marry her," he said, getting more irritated. Hana scowled up at him.

"Why not? She's strong and she comes from a good family."

"I want to marry someone I actually love. She could be weak, sickly, and have no family, but I would still marry her if I loved her," he said somewhat loudly. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Well, you may want to tell Ouka that," she said, yanking her arm out of his grasp and walking into the house.

* * *

Shuuhei scowled as he practiced with his sword. Once again, he was angry because of Hana.

"Stupid woman," he growled. He was completely confused by her behavior towards him. There were times when she was sweet to him and then she would act coldly. She was the most confusing woman he'd ever met. "Make up your mind!"

"Having some problems?" Shuuhei pointed his sword at the voice. Hanzo held up his hands.

"Lord Hanzo! My apologies," Shuuhei said, bowing.

"You seem troubled," Hanzo said, straight to the point as always. Shuuhei sighed.

"Yes. I am very troubled," the young samurai replied.

"What troubles you?"

"Women." Hanzo chuckled quietly.

"Women are a trouble to all men, but they are a wonderful trouble to have," Hanzo said. "Come sit." Shuuhei followed Hanzo to the wood porch and sat next to him.

"I don't think it's wonderful. It's confusing, annoying, and it's interfering with my sleep. The next thing will be my duties."

"Tell me what's going on."

"We've only known each other for a few days. Lord Ieyasu has assigned me to be her personal guard for this trip so we're together every day. Sometimes, she acts very sweet and it causes me to feel things I haven't felt before. She's shared information about herself with me that she hasn't ever told anyone else. Other times, she acts coldly towards me. But I still wish to protect her. Not just because Lord Ieyasu ordered me to but for selfish reasons as well. I catch myself watching her," Shuuhei explained. His cheeks warmed as he thought about the time he saw her naked.

"Hmmm…sounds a bit like how I once was with Usagi," Hanzo replied thoughtfully. Shuuhei frowned.

"What are you implying, Lord Hanzo?"

"There's a chance that you have feelings for Hana but do not want to admit it. Have you ever been in love?" Hanzo asked.

"I've never even had a woman catch my eye before. My entire life has been devoted to the sword and protecting Lord Ieyasu," Shuuhei replied.

"But now one has. I wish you luck." With that, Hanzo returned to the house.

"That doesn't tell me how to fix this," Shuuhei muttered. He walked into the house and to the room he was supposed to be sharing with the other men. He opened the door to find all the men sprawled out across the floor. There wasn't a single space left for him. He frowned as he tried to figure out where to sleep. The only other rooms that had been prepared for them were Ieyasu's and Hana's rooms. It would be disrespectful to sleep in Ieyasu's room but he didn't actually want to share a room with Hana while he was feeling so confused. He eventually decided that Hana's room would have to do. He walked to her room and slowly slid open the door. Hana was tossing and turning in her sleep. Shuuhei quietly entered the room and Hana let out a whimper. Before he realized what he wasn't doing, he'd knelt beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, sleepy and confused.

"Hisagi-san? What are you doing in here?" she asked sleepily.

"The other men didn't leave a place for me to sleep. Do you mind if I stay in here?" he asked in returned. She yawned.

"There's only one futon here," she told him.

"I can sleep on the floor."

"No. It's a big futon," she said. She moved to one side and pulled back the blanket. Shuuhei felt himself blush as he climbed in next to her. He knew it was improper for a man and a woman who were not married to sleep in the same bed but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind. He lay with his back to her and felt her back pressed against his own. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


End file.
